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A pediatrician’s viral post will bring you to tears and inspire you to be a better person.

Pediatrician Alastair McAlpine dedicated some of his terminal patients an assignment. What they told him can inspire us all.

“Kids can be so wise, y’know, ” the Cape Town doctor and ultra-marathon enthusiast posted to his Twitter account. He asked the young patients, short on time, about the things that really mattered to them.

What followed was a string of life advice that’ll make you want to be a better person , no matter how old you are.

For an assignment, I asked some of my terminal paediatric palliative care patients what they had enjoyed in life, and what dedicated it meaning. Kids can be so wise, y’know. Here are some of the responses( Thread ).

Many talked about the people and animals who would miss them when they were gone.

MANY mentioned their parents, often expressing worry or concern: ‘Hope mum will be ok. She seems sad.’‘Dad mustn’t worry. He’ll watch me again soon.’‘God will take care of my mum and daddy when I’m gone’/ 3

They all loved narratives, and many wish they’d expended less time and energy worrying about what others thought about them.

“ALL of them loved books or being told tales, especially by their parents, ” wrote McAlpine, who then shared a couple short anecdotes about Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and literary adventures in space.

They also understood that people who treat you differently for superficial reasons, like your hair or a surgery scar, aren’t worth are concerned about.

MANY wished they had expended less period are concerned about what others thought of them, and valued people who only treated them ‘normally’.‘My real friends didn’t care when my hair fell out.’‘Jane came to visit after the surgery and didn’t even notice the scar! ‘/ 6

What was important was having fun, being kind, and holding on to their sense of humor.

These kids loved swimming and playing on the beach, and they valued other persons who widened kindness to them along the way. “I like it when that kind nurse is here, ” one patient told McAlpine. “She’s gentle. And it hurts less.”

Almost ALL of them valued kindness above most other virtues: ‘My granny is so kind to me. She always attains me smile.’‘Jonny gave me half his sandwich when I didn’t eat mine. That was nice.’‘I like it when that kind nurse is here. She’s gentle. And it hurts less’ /8

Almost ALL of them loved people who induced them giggle: ‘That magician is so silly! His gasps fell out and I couldn’t stop laughter! ‘‘My daddy pulls funny faces which I just love! ‘‘The boy in the next bed farted! Hahaha! ‘